Interchangeable nail chambers with magazines and hoppers for portable nailing machines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORZ T. CRITCHLEY umugn 'nlll mllm I INTERCHANGEABLE NAIL CHAMBERS WITH MAGAZINES AND HOPPERS FOR PORTABLE NAILING MACHINES Nov. 7, 1961 Filed Sept. 17, 1959 H3 JUUUT 3 I'll LZ'IZ Nov. 7, 1961 T. CRITCHLEY 3,0079171 INTERCHANGEABLE NAIL CHAMBERS WITH MAGAZINES AND HOPPERS FOR PORTABLE NAILING MACHINES Filed Sept. 17. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,007,171 JNTERCHANGEABLE NAIL CHAMBERS WITH MAGAZINES AND HOPPERS FOR PORT- ABLE NAILING MACHINES Thomas Critchley, Ocean Grove, NJ. (Fair-View, Apt., 14402 Bayshore Drive, Madeira 8, Fla.) Filed Sept. '17, 1959, Ser. No. 840,610 Claims priority, application Great Britain Nov. 8, 1958 4 Claims. (Cl. 1-46) This invention relates to interchangeable nail chambers with nail magazines and hoppers for portable nailing machines, and especially for those nailing machines driving nails by reciprocal plunger impact into boards such as floor boards or other similar woodwork, and is an improvement on the machine shown in Pat. No. 2,768,- 376, granted me Oct. 30, 1956, and a further improvement on my co-pending application for patent Ser. No. 689,231, filed Oct. 9, 1957.

The primary object of the instant invention is to pro vide nail chambers for a portable nailing machine of such construction so as to be interchangeable and to accommodate both flat and round nails, the same to be accomplished with a minimum of labor and time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel, simple, and improved nail magazine of a preloading type, the same to be removably mounted on the nail track of a portable nailing machine for the use of flat out nails. Another object of the invention is to providea novel and simple nail hopper for the use of round nails, the same to be removably mounted on the nail track of a portable nailing machine, whose construction is such that it can be loaded at will while attached to said nail track, and continuously feed nails onto the previously mentioned nail track.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spring controlled pusher of such shape and construction that it can be inserted between the flanges of a nail track at any predetermined point to push nails into the nail chamber of a portable nailing machine, and be withdrawn at any predetermined point.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby nails can be fed into the nail chamber of a portable nailing machine by gravity, even though the plunger and easing of said nailing machine are vertically inclined as' in face nailing.

Another object of 'the invention is to provide striker pins of difierent shapes to be removably secured to the reciprocal plunger of a portable nailing machine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the followingdescriptions. In the drawings: E

FIG. 1 shows a nailing machine adjusted for face nailing, a nail magazine mounted on the nail track, the nail driven through a flooring board and into a floor beam, and the plunger and striking pin of the nailing machine on the verge of reciprocating upwardly;

FIG. 2 shows in side elevation a triangular casing removably secured to a fragmentary section of the upper plate of a nail chamber, elevating said track to an acute angle, and to a smaller scale a nail hopper mounted on the nail track;

'FIG. 3' shows a plan view of a nail hopper suitable for the use of round nails;

FIG. 4 shows a vertical rear view of the hopper shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a modified pusher equipped with tension springs;

FIG. 6 shows in rear elevation a h'agmentary section or the nail magazine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 shows a cross section in the line III-III of FIG. 1 for the use of flat cut nails;

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FIG. 8 shows a similar cross section, but for a machine converted to use round nails;

FIG. 9 shows in side elevation the front plate of a nail chamber for the use of flat cut nails;

FIG. 10 shows in side elevation the front plate of a nail chamber tor the use of round nails;

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view to a larger scale of a striker pin for use with flat cut nails, removably secured to a fragmentary section of a plunger;

FIG. 12 shows a perspective view to a larger scale of a striker pin for use with round nails, removably secured to a fragmentary section of a plunger;

FIG. 13 shows a detailed perspective view to a larger scale of corner strips shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 14 shows the upper plate of a nail chamber removably secured to a fragmentary section of the casing of a portable nailing machine, and removable tip of base of said nailing machine secured to said base;

FIG. 15 shows a detailed view in direction of arrow VI--FIG. 1, with the feeding means omitted;

FIG. 16 shows a top plan view of the nail magazine shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description numeral 1 indicates a nail magazine of a preloading type for the use of fiat cut nails as shown in FIG. 1, this nail magazine 1 comprises an oblong narrow casing 1a having vertical partitions or ribs 28 to provide nail compartments or cells 29 for the storage of nails as shown in FIGS. 1, 6, and 16.

In my co-pending application for patent Ser. No. 689,

I 231, filed Oct. 9, 1957, now Patent No. 2,976,536, issued March 28, 1961, I provided a series of stops of fork like construction at the bottom of each cell in cross section, to be withdrawn singly to release the nails stacked one on another vertically in one cell only, retaining the easing 1a, ribs 28, and cells 29, I now provide a series of stops 2, positioned at suitable levels lengthwise of the casing 1a of the nail magazine, these stops 2 are thin flat rectangular elements which slide in and out of grooves recessed lengthwise in the casing 1a, to close or open a tier of cells 29 to hold or discharge the nails stored in said cells 29. A stop 2 is provided to close the cells under the bottom tier of nails, another stop 2 at the top closes the nail magazine after loading, and a stop 2 is provided to position underneath each remaining tier of nails. When a stop 2 is withdrawn from beneath the nails resting thereon a whole lengthwise tier of nails fall onto the nail track 30. It will be obvious to anyone versed in the art, the advantage these stops 2 have over the individual stops provided in my aforementioned copending application.

Another type of nail hopper 15 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 is provided for the use of round nails. This hopper 15 is V shaped or triangular in vertical section, and comprises side and end walls sloping downwardly and inwardly to the nail track 30, on which it is removably mounted. The lower ends of these side walls terminate in out turned flanges which position between the flanges of the nail track 30, and hold said nail hopper 15 securely in place. At diiferent levels of hopper 15 are horizontal wires or thin rods 18, alternate levels being in the same direction, and adjacent levels at right angles to each other as shown in FIG. 3. Two inclined planes 16 and 17 are provided crosswise of the hopper sloping downwardly towards the opening at the base of said hopper 15 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Planes 16 and 17 help to prevent the bunching of nails at the throat of said hopper 15 and nail track 30, when a handful of nails are dumped into the hopper at one time, the nails tumble over the various wires so that they fall at different rates and tend to be held by their heads momentarily while tumbling through the levels of the wires 18 so that they 3 generally fall in a perpendicular stance through the opening at the bottom of said hopper onto nail track 30. The jarring of the machine caused by the hammering also help to separate any bunch of nails collecting on the nail track. Hopper 15 is interchangeable with magazine 1, both being removably mounted on the same nail track 30.

Numeral 4 indicates the front plate of a nail chamber for the use of flat cut nails as shown in FIGS. 1, 7, and 9. The casing 31 of the nailing machine comprises four sections; a rear section, an upper front section, a cap, and a lower front section 4 hereafter to be called the front plate of the nail chamber, the upper part of the front section and the corresponding upper part of the rear section of said casing 31 house the plunger 32 and the helical spring 33, removably secured to plunger 32 is striker pin 22 as shown in FIG. 11, striker pin 22 reciprocates in a centrally located longitudinal groove 24, rectangular in shape, and running from the seat of helical spring 33 to the extreme tip of the lower end of the rear section of casing 31, this rectangular groove 24 in combination with the front plate 4 form the nail chamber, front plate 4 of the nail chamber is a rectangular member bevelled in cross section on the lower end of the outer face, and provided with bored openings 11 through which screw bolts are inserted to fasten into threaded recesses bored in corresponding positions in the lower end of the rear section of casing 31.

Centrally located on the outer face of front plate 4 is a suitably shaped slot 13 as shown in FIGS. 7, 9, and 15 extending from said outer face to the inner face through which nails 3 are pushed to a point inside the nail chamber directly beneath and in the path of the striker pin 22, the inside lower end of slot 13 is bevelled downwardly as indicated by numeral 34 shown in FIG. 9 to prevent any outward movement of nail 3 when first struck by striker pin 22, the inside face of front plate 4 is smooth as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, and in combination with the rectangular groove 24 form a guide for the striker pin 22 and the nail being driven.

Numeral 4a indicates an alternate front plate of the nail chamber, rectangular in shape, bevelled in cross section on the lower end of the outer face, and provided with bored openings 11 through which screw bolts 10 are inserted to fasten into threaded recesses bored in corresponding positions in the lower end of the rear section of casing 31, centrally located on the outer face of front plate 4a is a suitably shaped slot extending from said outer face to the inner face through which the nails are pushed to a point directly beneath and in the path of striker pin 23. Centrally located on the inner face of front plate 4a is a longitudinal semi circular groove 4b running the full length of said inner face as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10. To complete the circle necessary for the passage through the nail chamber of striker pin 23 and the nail being driven corner strips 21 are provided as shown in FIGS. 8 and 13. Corner strips 21 are rectangular elongate strips with a quarter circular groove in longitudinal'section the full length of the inner face. The outer face smooth, and equipped with locating pins 12 at suitable distances apart which anchor into recesses bored in corresponding positions in the rectangular groove 24 and held removably secure in the said rectangular groove by front plate 4a. To prevent the nail awaiting to be driven from falling downwardly after entering the nail chamber, a pair of spring loaded plungers are positioned in the upper edges of front plate 4a as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10. Enough clearance between the inside ends of plungers 20 is allowed so that the shank of a nail can freely pass through, but the nail is held in suspension by the head until struck by striker pin 23. These spring loaded plungers are retained in bored recesses 20a on each side of front plate 4a as shown in FIG. 10. The plunger, spring, and screw cap form the member 20.

Front plate 4a is interchangeable with front plate 4 and uses the same nail track 30.

Numeral 5 indicates a resilient wedged shaped bumper removably secured to front plates 4 or 4a as shown in FIG. 1, bumper 5 insures a full bearing of the front plates 4 or 4a on the floor boards being nailed when face nailing to prevent any marring of the boards by the sharp end of the said front plates. of the nail chamber.

Numeral 6 indicates a modified pusher as shown in FIG. 5. Pusher 6 is of one piece, and comprises a small cross arm head which positions inside the nail track 30 behind the nails 3 being pushed into the nail chamber of the nailing machine, a neck which positions between the flanges of nail track 30, also a longer cross arm 9 to which are secured tension springs 7, and a body which positions behind the nails 3 being pushed towards the nail chamber of the nailing machine.

The advantage of this type pusher is that it can be inserted or withdrawn at any predetermined point of the nail track by twisting the head of the pusher parallel with the nail track and lowering or raising as the circumstances require.

Two leaf springs 26 as shown in FIG. 15 are provided to centralize the nail points as they are driven downwardly. The said leaf springs 26 part to allow the striker pin to pass through. Leaf springs 26 are secured one on each edge of the rectangular groove 24 in the lower end of the nail chamber.

Numeral 14 as shown in FIG. 1 indicates guide plates to guide nails into the nail chamber. Guide plates are secured one on each side of opening 13 of the front plate of the nail chamber.

Numeral 19 indicates a hollow narrow triangular casing as shown in FIG. 2, casing 19 is open on the inside end and base. The inside end or the one nearest the nailing machine is equipped with out turned flanges provided with bored openings at suitable levels through which screw bolts are inserted to fasten into threaded recesses bored in the front plate 411. The outside end is also equipped with out turned flanges with bored openings through which bolts are inserted to fasten said outside end to the nail track 30. Running through casing 19 near the base is a curved nail track 19a as shown in FIG. 2. This curved nail track 19a connects to nail track 30 at one end and to the front plate of the nail chamber at the other. This nail track 19a is curved so that the nails gravitating down to the nail chamber will enter said nail chamber in a perpendicular stance, and assume the correct position in the nail chamber for a direct downward movement when struck by striker pin 23.

Triangular plate 19 is used to elevate nail track 30 and hopper 15 mounted on said track to an acute angle relative to casing 31 and plunger 32 of nailing machine to obtain the necessary slope or downgrade so that the nails in the nail track 30 will slide down into the nail chamber by gravity even though the casing 31 and plunger 32 of the nailing machine'are perpendicular to the boards being laid as in face nailing. I

Patent No. 2,768,376 granted me Oct. 30, 1956 was designed for the use of flat cut nails only, using a striker pin similar in shape to striker pin 22 as shown in FIG. 11. Retaining plunger 32 and helical spring 33, I now provide an alternate striker pin of a different shape to reciprocate within the circular nail chamber formed by front plate 4a and corner strips 21, FIG. 12 shows such a striker pin 23. Striker pin 23 is an elongate metal pin, circular in erosssection and removably secured to plunger 32, and is for the use of round nails.

For the use of flat cut nails striker pin 22 is provided. Striker pin 22 is an elongate metal. pin, rectangular in shape and removably secured to plunger 32 in the same manner as pin 23. Striker pins 22 and 23 are interchangeable with each other.

Retaining pawl as shown in my Patent No. 2,768,376 for blind nailing. It will be necessary to provide a pawl 27 that is triangular in shape, one leg to be vertically inclined and positioning parallel: to the casing 31. Projecting outwardly from the inside lower endof this leg a threaded lug is provided to fasten into plunger 32. Another leg projects downwardly at an acute angle from the upper end of the vertical leg. The lower end of this second leg is notched to receive a pawl head. This pawl is interchangeable with that shown in Pat. No. 2,768,376 and functions in a similar manner.

Operation The nailing machine as shown in FIG. 1 with the extra base 36 attached is being used to face nail tongue and groove under flooring boards using a T headed flat cut nail. Front plate 4 of the nail chamber is attached to the casing 31 of the nailing machine, and nail magazine 1 is mounted on the nail track 30. Spring controlled pusher 6 is in position and through tension of springs 7 pushing nails consecutively into the nail chamber, the lower tier of nails in the nail magazine have been discharged onto the nail track and the nails in the two upper tiers of nail cells held in suspension. When the pusher has cleared the nails on the nail track from beneath the lowermost tier of nail cells of the nail magazine, drop the pusher out of the nail track and pull out stop No. 2, thus releasing the second tier of nails onto the nail track. Care must be taken to leave striker pin in the lowermost position while changing position of pusher to prevent a nail from entering the nail chamber until the tension force of the springs are again behind the nails in the nail track. As the nails in the nail track are used up repeat the performance of discharging nails onto the nail track and changing the position of the pusher. When the nail magazine is emptied of all nails, detach said magazine from the nail track and replace with a loaded magazine.

To load this pre-loading type nail magazine 1, first insert the bottom stop, load each nail cell with one nail, and insert a stop in the grooves above the heads of the nails loaded. Repeat the loading operation until the nail magazine is fully loaded and insert the top stop to prevent the nails of the top tier from falling out while magazine is awaiting to be mounted on the nail track.

If it should be desired to use a round nail instead of a fiat cut nail, detach front plate 4 and nail track 30 from the casing 31 of the nailing machine. Withdraw the plunger 32 out of said casing by removing the cap. Insert corner strips 21 in the rectangular groove 24 of the nail chamber and attach front plate 4a to the casing 31. Detach nail track 30 from front plate 4 and secure to front plate 4a. Remove the rectangular striker pin 22 from the plunger and attach round striker pin 23 to aforesaid plunger, insert plunger and striker pin inside the casing, and secure same by replacing and securing cap to said casing. Mount hopper 15 between the flanges of the nail track. Throw a handful of nails into the hopper, the nails will tumble over and between the series of wire rods 18 and fall onto the nail track with their heads up. The jarring of the machine while being hammered and plates 16 and 17 will separate and help to prevent the bunching together of the nails on the nail track. Proceed as for flat cut nails with the pusher and commence nailing.

If the triangular plate 19 is used to elevate the nail track and hopper, the pusher is dispensed with, the nails will slide down into the nail chamber by gravity, plate 19 is for the use of round nails only. It will be found advisable should the pusher be used with round nails to insert a light stn'p spring between the heads of the nails in the nail track and cover of said nail track. This strip spring will exert enough pressure to hold the nail perpendicular and prevent one nail head riding on the head of another. It is preferable to insert said strip spring at the union of the short and extension nail tracks.

Keep the nail track reasonably full of nails by dropping nails into the hopper from time to time.

When face nailing, base tip 25 with the transverse groove is removed from the base 37 and replaced again in the event nailing machine reverts to blind nailing.

As an illustration of aforesaid operation FIG. 1 shows a nailing machine adjusted by the second base 36 to the angle for face nailing. The base tip 25 with the transverse groove removed and resilient bumper 5 attached to front plate 4. Nail magazine 1 shown partly in section mounted on the nail track, with bottom stop 2 withdrawn, lower series of cells 29 emptied of nails, nail track 30 partly full of nails, pusher 6 in position pushing nails through the front plate 4 and into the nail chamber of the nailing machine, one nail driven through the floor board 38 to a home position in the floor beam 39, the plunger 32 and striker pin 22 of the nailing machine on the verge of being forced upwardly by helical spring 33.

What is claimed is:

1. In a nailing machine, a casing, a reciprocal driving rod within the upper section of the casing, a centrally located rectangular groove in the lower rear section of the said casing, a pair of elongate corner strips positioned within said rectangular groove, a quarter circular groove in longitudinal section the full length of the inner faces of said corner strips, the outer faces smooth and equipped with locating pins, and, a front plate, rectangular in shape, bevelled in cross section on the lower end of the outer face, a centrally located semi-circular groove running the full length of the inner face, a suitably shaped slot cut through from the outer face to the inner face, spring loaded plungers retained in recesses on each upper edge of said rectangular plate, and means securing said rectangular front plate to casing of nailing machine, whereby said front plate and said elongate corner strips located in the centrally located rectangular groove in the lower rear section of the nailing machine form a circular nail chamber.

2. A nail magazine for a nailing machine, the combination of a casing, a vertical series of nail receiving compartments within the casing, out turned flanges at the lower sides of the casing, and a plurality of elongate rectangular stops manually slideable lengthwise within the casing, one at the top, one at the bottom, one under each intermediate nail receiving compartment to releasably support nails stored in said nail compartments, the magazine being adapted to be suitably retained on the nail track of a nailing machine by said out turned flanges of the casing.

3. A nail hopper for a nailing machine, comprising side walls, end walls, an exit at the lower ends of the side walls, said lower ends of side walls having out turned flanges, a plurality of series in parallel elements at different levels in the hopper, adjacent series of said elements being disposed at right angles to each other, two inclined plates within the hopper, spaced from each other, and sloping downwardly towards the rear of said hopper, said hopper being retained on the nail track of a nailing machine by the out turned flanges at the lower ends of the side walls of the hopper.

4. In a nailing machine, a nail track, a casing, a nail chamber, a detachable rectangular front plate of the nail chamber in the lower section of said casing, and removably secured between, and, to the nail track and rectangular front plate of the nail chamber, a hollow narrow triangular shaped casing, open at the base and inner side, a curved nail track within and near the base of said triangular shaped casing, said curved nail track becoming a continuation of the nail track of the nailing machine to the front plate of the nail chamber of said nailing machine, both sides of the triangular shaped casing equipped with out turned flanges to provide suitable means of removably securing said triangular shaped casing between, and, to the nail track of the nailing machine and front plate of the nail chamber of said nailing machine.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Racett Oct. 21, 1924 Thayer Apr; 8, 1941' Lang Oct. 8; 1946 Critchley Oct. 30, 1956 Anstett Feb. 11, 1958 Freeman Dec. 30,- 1958 

